Leave it to the Future
by Tadpole24
Summary: "I'm making the choice to be happy." Captain Swan fic set after 3x09 on the Jolly Roger


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Leave it to the Future

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With his bed taken by Henry and the crew's quarters filled with Lost Boys and the rest of the motley crew that had accompanied him in Neverland, Killian decides that the fresh air of the night will do him good and stands by his helm watching the stars pass by. Even when Liam had lived and they had used the Pegasus sail, they had never flown at night and he finds it to be rather therapeutic and calming.

It's quiet on deck, so he hears the second she steps onto the wooden floor, but doesn't react until she's halfway up the stairs to the helm. "You should be resting, love. No telling how long this journey will take."

She smiles softly, her face cast in moonlight, and makes her way up the rest of the stairs, "You're not excited by the prospect of a midnight rendezvous?" The flirting comes naturally, rolls off her tongue before she can have a chance to filter it.

A breath escapes him, somewhere between a sigh and a laugh, something disbelieving in the undertones of it. "Swan," he warns, "Don't allow the euphoria of finding your son determine a choice for you."

It stings, hearing him say it, realising that he has as many trust issues as she does. An apology is ready on her lips, but she finds at the last second that she doesn't want to let it out. Because she's not sorry at all, her words aren't driven by euphoria or adrenaline. No, this is the most honest moment between them.

And she feels a desperate need for him to know that.

"No one but me is making this choice."

He looks up at that, eyes searching her face for a trick, a lie. But he doesn't find any form of dishonesty and she can see that genuinely shocks him. "And what choice would that be?" he doesn't want to presume. There can be no beating around the bush.

She bites her lip, unsure if words will cut it in this case. He's a man of action and she thinks he will respond best in the same fashion. She steps towards him with a tentative smile on her lips, before reaching out her hand to rest it over his, tangling their fingers together, "I'm making the choice to be happy."

Then leaning into him, she presses a chaste kiss against his lips, holding herself steady with her other hand at the back of his neck. It takes less than a second for him to respond to her, tilting his head slightly and deepening their kiss. His hook comes around her waist, resting on her lower back and pulling her into him, a startled gasp escaping her and opening her mouth for him to further plunder.

She tastes sweet and spiced - like his finer rum - and he wouldn't be shocked if she had enjoyed just that down in his quarters as she had tucked her son into bed. The thought of her in his room, his space, stokes a fire burning in his heart and shoots tendrils of pleasure out in his bloodstream.

He spins her around, backing her up against the side of the ship, his fingers untangling from hers and roaming down her waist before curling under her ass, pulling her leg up onto his hip. And gods, he can feel her heat even through all the layers of clothing.

It's so much. Too much.

He pulls back a moment, gathering his bearings, catching his breath as his forehead leans against hers. One of her hands is massaging the back of his neck with soft movements and that's what he focuses on as he asks, "Are you sure?"

Her eyes flick up to his and the movement stills on his neck. There's a vulnerability in her that he's never seen before, something that shakes him a little.

"No," she answers honestly, "But I'm sick of living my life in waiting. There's never going to be a right moment and you make me feel _good_." She shrugs her shoulders, her free hand reaching between them to toy with the buckles on his vest, "I'm sure right now, and I don't know how I'll feel tomorrow. But that's life in my realm. You don't know at first glance, true love and magic are things of fantasy, you just see where things go."

His hook comes between them, latching around her wrist and pulling her attention from undressing him for just a moment, "And where do you see this going?"

A hint of a smile crosses her face before she looks up at him and honestly answers, "Somewhere _fun_."

And damn, he knew those words would come back to haunt him, but he'd been so determined to show her how irresistible she was that he hadn't really thought ahead. The way her eyes are sparkling in the night, the way her hand is pulling from his to run along his chest – she's never really touched him like this, not skin to skin. He's burning up already.

But while it's quiet up on deck at the moment, he knows that could change at any second. And from the hesitant way her eyes flick up to meet his, she knows too.

"Last thing we need is for your lad to catch us in a compromising position, eh?"

She blows out a long breath, letting her leg fall from his hip. Every room is occupied and she knows it, this would be a foolish move to make. She reaches up to press her lips against his once more though, answering him honestly, "I suppose we do have all the time in the world."

And while he wishes they had the choice of being reckless and losing themselves right here in the open air of his flying ship, he compromises for the promise of something much more, something she will be sure of if he has anything to say about it. And really, he much likes the sound of that.


End file.
